Dear Friend,

Yesterday's riot in the Capitol, instigated by Donald Trump and his enablers in politics and the corporate media, is a disgrace on many levels. That these flag-waving, white supremacist thugs were allowed to escalate the situation so far is yet another insult to Black, Brown and Indigenous People who have been brutalized or killed by police while exercising their right to truly peaceful protest — or even while just driving, walking or being present in their community.

How was this allowed to happen? It's difficult to imagine rioters climbing the walls of the Capitol, staging a free-for-all in the Rotunda and resulting in four deaths without gross incompetence from Capitol police and Homeland Security. We've seen years of reports and evidence of "law enforcement" coziness with white supremacist factions.

Countless Greens and other comrades in the Left who have demonstrated in D.C. for peace, the environment or social and economic justice can tell you they have never experienced anything close to the leniency offered by D.C. security up to the moment the situation boiled over with lethal results.

We are disgraced by how far this country has descended toward neo-fascism. Donald Trump is, sadly, only a symptom of that descent.

The actions of his followers provide more evidence that, while Trump was defeated at the ballot box, Trumpism will continue to be fueled by constant corruption, graft and exploitation by the elite power structure.

Republicans and Democrats routinely disregard the law and voters when it suits their purposes. People asking "how can half of the country think the election was stolen from Trump?" need to be reminded Democratic Party elites spent three years claiming Russia installed Trump in the White House in the first place and Greens are "Russian assets".

Republicans and Democrats use conspiracy fantasies to whip up their supporters and cover up their failures. The result is a citizenry roiled by misinformation, fear and anger. That does not excuse any of the crimes committed today. It does point to a way to end this cycle.

We must win the fight to democratize our elections, our society and economy. The most effective way to fight neo-fascism is through the pillars of Grassroots Democracy, Ecological Wisdom, Social Justice and Nonviolence.

Gloria Mattera,
Co-Chair
Green Party of the United States
http://www.gp.org/